Multiple Olympic medalist Kaori Sakamoto of Japan skates to the lead with a spectacular Short Program as the ISU Figure Skating World Championships 2026 in Prague, Czechia opened Wednesday. In what was a high-level event, many competitors still have a shot at the podium in the Free Skating on Friday. 

Smooth Sakamoto on the golden track

Three-time ISU World Champion Sakamoto took the lead with Mone Chiba not far behind in second place. Amber Glenn (USA) came third and is sitting in a medal position at the ISU World Championships for the very first time. 

Sakamoto chose “Time to Say Goodbye” for her Short Program for a reason – this was going to be the last Short Program of her amazing career and she made sure it was a special one. 

Not only did the 2026 Olympic medalist produce a double Axel, triple Lutz and triple flip-triple toe combination and strong spins but she also impressed with her speed, flow and expression. The reward was a season’s best of 79.31 points. 

"There were a lot of people who traveled all the way to Prague to come and support me from Japan and from many other countries,” Sakamoto said. 

“I did get a lot of power from their support and so I would like to tell them that their love made it through to me. 

“But for me, I am a skater who wants to meet the expectations of people with the results that I get. So far in the Short Program I've been able to do that. So I'm very happy about that."

Kaori Sakamoto (JPN) thanked the many supporters who had travelled from Japan to witness the final chapter of her storied career © ISU

It was a special occasion for Sakamoto to come to Czechia for her last competition as she appeared in her first ISU Junior Grand Prix in the country back in 2013.

"My first Junior Grand Prix competition took place not in Prague, but in Ostrava, in Czechia,” Sakamoto explained. 

“At that time during the competition I could see maybe a few people dispersed in in the audience. Today to have to be able to be at the World Championships in Prague and have so many people in the audience, I think that I felt a little bit of how far I come. It was a good feeling to have."

Kaori Sakamoto (JPN) in action during the Short Program in Prague, Czechia © ISU 

Skating to “Last Dance”, Chiba put out a delightful performance that featured a triple flip-triple toe and triple Lutz as well as excellent spins. The 2025 ISU World bronze medalist set a new personal best with 78.45 points.

“Today I had a lot of ups and downs, fluctuation in my emotions, I felt confident and then I felt afraid and then I felt confident again, so I kind of got really anxious in the six-minute warm-up,” Chiba shared. 

“But then I tried to calm myself and I'm glad that I was able to skate with calmness until the end.

“After the Olympics, I really tried to reflect on my performance and then tried to adjust for the best condition. I trained very hard and I prepared everything towards this competition. 

“For the free skate I will try to adjust again and get my best condition and then I will fight, I will do everything to do the best,” she vowed. 

Mone Chiba (JPN), who took bronze at the 2025 World Championships and sits in second place in Prague, Czechia © ISU

Glenn looked somewhat nervous in the warm-up and struggled with her triple Axel but she nailed it when it counted in her entertaining program to “Like a Prayer” by Madonna. 

The US Champion slightly under-rotated her triple flip-triple toe but went on to land the triple loop – the jump that had eluded her in the Short Program at the Olympic Games. Glenn scored 72.65 points. 

"I was very focused throughout the program,” Glenn noted. 

“I felt like I did my job out there today, and I really got to enjoy the step sequence. The crowd was incredible, and I really just focused on giving as many points as I could after having a bit of a rough two jumping passes in the beginning, but I stayed on my feet, and I just kept believing in myself the entire time,” she continued.

"It's great being able to go into the Free Skate not feeling like I'm clawing my way up through the ranks for once. 

“It has been a challenge, it seems, at these World Championships year after year doing the Short Program. I think competing so soon after competing last kind of helps, so I still have that familiar feeling."

Amber Glenn (USA) in action in Prague, Czechia © ISU

The 2024 ISU World silver medalist Isabeau Levito (USA) delivered another strong performance to “Zou Bisou Bisou” and remains close to the podium in fourth place on 72.16 points. 

Nina Pinzarrone (BEL) came fifth with a personal best performance to “Send In the Clowns” (71.82 points), and multiple European medalist Anastasiia Gubanova (GEO) danced into the top six with her Indian-inspired program to Bollywood music (69.92 points). 

Olympic bronze medalist Ami Nakai popped her planned triple Axel into a double and stumbled on it to finish eighth. However, on 69.10 points, she is just a little over three points away from a medal and can still catch up. 

Find more comments from the skaters in the Quick Quotes and Press Conference section on the ISU Website. 

What and when 

The schedule of the ISU Figure Skating World Championships 2026 is as follows:

Wednesday, March 25: Women’s & Pairs Short Programs
Thursday, March 26: Men’s Short Program & Pairs Free Skating
Friday, March, 27: Rhythm Dance & Women’s Free Skating 
Saturday, March 28: Men’s Free Skating & Free Dance
Sunday, March 29:  Exhibition Gala & ISU Figure Skating Awards

For more information, full entry lists and results, visit the ISU event page of the ISU Figure Skating World Championships 2026 and the official event website. Follow the discussion on social media using #WorldFigure and #FigureSkating. 

Where to watch the ISU Figure Skating World Championships 2026:

Find all the relevant information about watching the ISU Figure Skating World in the Where to Watch news. 

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